ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
103 individual athletes and 2 hockey teams  selected as core group selected under the TOPS at present
SAI has undertaken 29 Sports Infrastructure projects amounting to Rs.612.51 crore during the last five years
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports through Sports Authority of India  have undertaken several initiatives to ensure preparations for Olympic/ Paralympic Games, Asian and Commonwealth Games and to increase the participation of our sportspersons in these events. In order to improve India’s performance at Olympics and Paralympics, the Ministry is also implementing the Target Olympic Podium Scheme  since 2014. Under TOPS, the Government extends all requisite support to probable athletes identified for the major international events, including foreign training, international competition, equipment, services of support staff/personnel like Physical Trainer, Sports Psychologist, Mental Trainer and Physiotherapist besides out of pocket allowance of Rs.50,000/- per month to Core Group athletes and Rs.25,000/- per month to Development Group athletes. At present, 103 individual athletes and 2 hockey teams  as core group have been selected under the TOPS. Also, Under Development Group of TOPS to ensure a focused approach in India’s Olympic preparation the talent identification of 166 best sporting talents has been completed.
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is also implementing various schemes for the development of sports and provide benefits/facilities among the youth across the country, viz.,  Khelo India Scheme;  Assistance to National Sports Federations;  Special Awards to Winners in International Sports Events and their Coaches;  National Sports Awards;  Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons;  Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Sports Welfare Fund;  National Sports Development Fund ; and  Running Sports Training Centres through Sports Authority of India.
The details of the above schemes are available in the public domain on the websites of the Ministry and the Sports Authority of India viz., www.yas.nic.in/sports and www.sportsauthorityofindia.nic.in respectively.
As ‘Sports’ is State subject, responsibility for creation and enhancement of sports infrastructure is that of State/Union Territory Governments. As far as the sports facilities in SAI are concerned, SAI has undertaken 29 Sports Infrastructure projects amounting to Rs.612.51 crore during the last five years.
Under the Khelo India Scheme, financial assistance is provided for creation of basic sports infrastructure such as Multipurpose Hall, Synthetic Athletic Track, Football Turf, Hockey Turf, Swimming Pool etc. A total 297 sports infrastructure projects including 48 in the State of Rajasthan have been sanctioned across the country, which cater to all categories of citizens.
Further, SAI undertakes sports infrastructure projects only in SAI Centres across India. There is no proposal at present for construction of new stadiums and sports complexes at SAI centres.
The reply was given by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Tourism
VICE PRESIDENT INAUGURATES ‘EK BHARAT SHRESHTHA BHARAT’ EXHIBITION; EXHORTS PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT ART AND CULTURE OF THE PAIRED STATES
The Hon’ble Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated an exhibition on ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’  at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in the city today. Organised by the Regional Outreach Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, this exhibition highlights the various interesting aspects of the paired states of Haryana and Telangana like art forms, cuisine, festivals, monuments, tourism spots etc, The exhibition will be open for viewing from 12th to 14th December, 2021 at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University Campus, Nampally, Hyderabad. Noteworthy books brought out on the themes of art and culture have been put up on display by the Publications Division at the exhibition.
Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Shri Naidu said that such initiatives will go a long way in propagating the rich cultural heritage of the paired states and promoting people-to-people contacts. He complimented the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for this initiative that brings people from the both States together and creates awareness about our rich & diverse cultural heritage.
Telangana State Home Minister, Shri Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Vice Chairman, Telangana State Planning Board, Shri B. Vinod Kumar, attended the event. The senior officers of Ministry of I&B from ROB, PIB, DPD and AIR were present on the occasion.
The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme is a unique initiative by the Government to promote the spirit of national integration and to strengthen the fabric of emotional bonds between the people of our country. The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat  programme was launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 31st October, 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who played a significant part in the unification of the country post-independence.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Newly synthesised biocompatible drug delivery system combined with anti-inflammatory drugs brings potential solution for rheumatoid arthritis
A newly synthesised biocompatible therapeutic nano-micelle drug delivery system combined with anti-inflammatory drugs has shown improved potential to cure rheumatoid arthritis at the lab level. It can help ameliorate the pain associated with the disease as well as cure the disease by restoring cartilage integrity which provides the flexibility to the bone.
Inflammation plays an important role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis . As a result, strategies for treating RA have been largely focused on providing symptomatic relief from pain and permanent cure is not available to date. Methotrexate  is considered as golden standard for the therapy of the disease but due to its severe side effects, researchers are currently looking for alternate drugs or strategies to overcome the disease.
Scientists from Institute of Nano Science and Technology , Mohali, an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology, explored the potential of the anti-inflammatory FDA-approved drug 9-aminoacridine  and the natural compound caffeic acid , generally found in coffee or wine  conjugated to nano micelles, an amphiphilic molecule that forms spherical structure when immersed in water, for the treatment of RA.
A research group led by Dr. Rehan Khan, Scientist, along with Senior Research Fellow Mr. Akshay Vyawahare, has developed a therapeutic nano-micelle loaded with an anti-inflammatory drug . When administered, this shows site-specific inhibition of inflammatory mediators due to activation of NR4A1 gene , which regulates inflammatory mechanism by inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines by Fluorescent 9 aminoacridine . The nano micelle itself has potential to provide therapeutic effect, but when combined with anti-inflammatory drug, it showed enhanced potential to cure rheumatoid arthritis experimentally by inhibiting joint damage and cartilage degradation. The new strategy inhibits joint damage and cartilage degradation and showed short-term  disease eradication and long-term  protection from the reappearance of the disease.
This drug delivery system is simple, cost-effective, safe, and has significant translational potential. The nano-formulation so far tested on rats and published in ACS Nano may bring long-term relief for numerous RA patients in the future by suppressing the disease severity of Rheumatoid arthritis.
Link for the Publication: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c07027
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SNC/PK
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Ministry of Power
Major interventions by Government of India to generate electricity from Renewable Energy sources
A study was carried out by Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power with an objective to project the Optimal Generation Capacity mix for 2029-30, the results of which were published in January, 2020. According to the study, the estimated electricity generation from renewable energy sources was assessed to be 39% of the total electricity generation by the year 2029-30.
Government have taken several steps to promote renewable energy in the country to achieve the goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s announcement at CoP-26. These include:
- Permitting Foreign Direct Investment  up to 100 percent under the automatic route,
- Waiver of Inter State Transmission System  charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by 30th June 2025,
- Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation  up to the year 2030,
- Setting up of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks to provide land and transmission to RE developers on a plug and play basis,
- Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan , Solar Rooftop Phase II, 12000 MW CPSU Scheme Phase II, etc,
- Laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for evacuation of renewable power,
- Setting up of Project Development Cell for attracting and facilitating investments,
- Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar PV and Wind Projects.
- Government has issued orders that power shall be dispatched against Letter of Credit  or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to RE generators.
This information was given by Shri R.K Singh, Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
President's Secretariat
President of India pays floral tributes to Shri R. Venkataraman on his birth anniversary
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, paid floral tributes to Shri R. Venkataraman, former President of India, on his birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan today .
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 2 NH projects worth Rs. 1082 Crore at Raiganj, West Bengal
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 2 NH projects worth Rs. 1082 Crore at Raiganj ,West Bengal.
Shri Gadkari said fulfilling the 60 years old demand of the people of Dalkhola , this 5 km & 4-lane bypass built at the total cost of Rs. 120 Crore, will finally solve the traffic problem in Dalkhola town now. Apart from this, the travel time from Siliguri to Kolkata will reduce by two hours due to the construction of bypass and ROB. This stretch will also improve movement along border areas of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, he added.
The minister said built at the total cost of Rs. 962 Crore, the 4-laning of Raniganj to Dalkhola stretch has improved the overall connectivity between West Medinipur till borders of Bangladesh. This stretch will also enhance connectivity between Bengal & North Eastern Region.
MJPS
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Ministry of Defence
Visit of CAS to AOR in Eastern Air Command
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria PVSM AVSM VM ADC, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force undertook a visit to Air Force Stations and Advanced Landing Grounds  in Eastern Air Command area of responsibility from 05 to 07 Jan 21. During the visit, CAS interacted with senior IAF & Army commanders and reviewed operational preparedness of units deployed at these locations. He also visited Itanagar to call on Hon'ble Governor and Hon'ble Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
Besides sharing key focus areas for furthering IAF's ongoing transformation with air warriors, the CAS flew with aircrew from transport and helicopter fleets that operate extensively in Sikkim and North East sectors. He lauded their stellar contribution in accomplishing all operational as well as humanitarian assistance tasks successfully while operating in a difficult terrain and an extremely challenging operational environment. He also praised sustained efforts by all personnel deployed within the AoR towards maintaining proficiency in envisaged roles and urged them to continue discharging their duty with diligence.
The CAS conveyed his satisfaction in the manner stations and units maintained their combat potential throughout the year gone by, despite stringent COVID-19 protocols.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
Periodic Labour Force Survey 
The National Sample Survey Office , Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, has been conducting Periodic Labour Force Survey  since 2017. As on 31.03.2023, five Annual Reports and 17 Quarterly Bulletins of PLFS have been published by NSSO. The latest Annual report of PLFS 2021-22 and the latest Quarterly Bulletin of PLFS for the Quarter October – December, 2022 was released on 24.02.2023. In recent years, the Ministry has made technological intervention in Survey process due to which the latest PLFS Quarterly Bulletins were released within two months from the end of the quarter.
From the PLFS, estimates of various Employment and Unemployment indicators  are generated with different levels of disaggregation like, sector , age, education, gender, etc. Besides, from the survey, the indicators of the structural aspects of the workforce such as status in employment, industrial distribution and occupational distribution of the workers are also derived.
This information was given by the Minister of State  for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
President's Secretariat
PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA CALLS ON THE PRESIDENT
The Prime Minister of Australia, H.E. Mr Anthony Albanese called on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan today .
Welcoming Prime Minister Albanese and his delegation, the President said that India and Australia enjoy a very friendly relationship. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries has given a boost to the bilateral engagements. She expressed confidence that this visit would instil greater momentum in India-Australia ties.
The President was happy to note the growing defence cooperation and deepening institutional engagements between India and Australia. She added that both countries should continue their practical cooperation in the emerging areas of critical minerals, new and renewable energy and innovation.
The President said that the Indian community in Australia is known for being hardworking and peace-loving, with entrepreneurial skills. She expressed confidence that the Australian Government would take all necessary steps to provide a safe, secure and positive environment to the Indian community in Australia.
Ministry of Finance
Finance Minister holds review meeting on CAPEX of 23 CPSEs to boost expenditure in the economy
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, today held meeting, through Video Conference, with Secretaries of Ministries of Petroleum & Natural Gas , Power , Coal , Mines and D/o Atomic Energy and the CMDs of 23 CPSEs belonging to these Ministries. This meeting was held as part of the series of meetings that the Finance Minister is having with various stakeholders to accelerate the economic growth.
In FY 2019-20, against the CAPEX target of Rs.1,64,822 crore for the 23 CPSEs, the achievement was Rs.1,66,029 crore i.e. 101%. Q1  achievement was Rs.26,320 crore  and achievement of Q1  is Rs.20,202 crore . CAPEX target for 2020-21 is Rs.1,65,510 crore.
While reviewing the performance of CPSEs, the Finance Minister said that CPSEs have a very important role in giving a push to the growth of the Indian economy. She encouraged the CPSEs to perform better to achieve targets and to ensure that the capital outlay provided to them for the year 2020-21 is spent properly and within time. The Finance Minister said that better performance of CPSEs can help the economy in a big way to recover from the impact of Covid 19.
The Finance Minister asked the Secretaries to closely monitor the performance of CPSEs in order to ensure capital expenditure to the tune of 50% of capital outlay by Q2 2020-21 and make plan for it. She stated that unresolved issues should be flagged immediately to the DEA/DPE for immediate solution.
The Ministries/ CPSEs discussed constraints being faced by them due to COVID 19 like problems of availability of manpower, delay in imports, delay in payments by DISCOMs on the dues of CPSEs like NPCIL and NLC. Smt Sitharaman stated that extraordinary situation requires extraordinary efforts and with collective efforts, we will not only perform better but also help the Indian economy to achieve better results.
Prime Minister's Office
PM appreciates book bank initiative of Jharkhand MP
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the book bank initiative of Ranchi Lok Sabha MP, Shri Sanjay Seth.
In reply to a tweet by the MP, the Prime Minister tweeted :
"बहुत खुशी की बात! बुक बैंक एक शानदार प्रयास है, जो युवाओं में किताबों के प्रति दिलचस्पी बढ़ाने वाला है।"
Prime Minister's Office
PM reiterates commitment to vaccines for all, free for all
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated all those who are driving the momentum of India’s vaccination drive.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said:
“India’s vaccination drive keeps gaining momentum! Congrats to all those who are driving this effort. Our commitment remains vaccines for all, free for all. सबको वैक्सीन, मुफ्त वैक्सीन।“
Prime Minister's Office
PM conveys Gudi Padwa greetings
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted everyone on the occasion of Gudi Padwa.
The Prime Minister tweeted;
“On the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa, my greetings to you all.”
President's Secretariat
President of India to Visit Odisha from November 10 to 11
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, will visit Odisha from November 10 to 11, 2022. This will be her first visit to the state as the President of India.
On November 10, 2022, the President will offer her prayers to Lord Jagannath at Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri. Thereafter, she will reach Bhubaneswar where she will pay her tributes before the statues of prominent freedom fighters and leaders. In the same evening, the President will attend the civic reception to be hosted in her honour at Raj Bhavan Bhubaneswar.
On November 11, 2022, the President will visit Tapoban High School, Government Girls High School Unit-II and Kuntala Kumari Sabat Adivasi Girls Hostel Unit-II in Bhubaneswar and interact with students and teachers. On the same day, she will launch various projects of the Union Ministry of Education from Jayadev Bhawan, Bhubaneswar.
Ministry of Education
Addition of about 5000 seats has been approved ‘in-principle’ in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas
Engagement of two counsellors per school in NVS has also been approved
A proposal received from the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti  for increasing the intake of students at Class VI level in the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas  by 10% from the academic session 2019-20 leading to addition of about 5000 seats has been approved ‘in-principle’ and is at advanced stage of approval.
The details of the pass percentage of students of Classes X and XII in the JNVs during the last five years are tabulated below:
|
|
Year
|
|
2013-14
|
|
2014-15
|
|
2015-16
|
|
2016-17
|
|
2017-18
|
|
Class X
|
|
99.80
|
|
99.72
|
|
98.83
|
|
99.78
|
|
97.15
|
|
Class XII
|
|
97.67
|
|
96.91
|
|
96.70
|
|
95.87
|
|
97.08
The Government has conveyed its approval to the NVS for engagement of two counsellors per school  in all the functional JNVs, on outsourcing basis.
The Central Govt has launched an integrated centrally sponsored scheme for school education- Samagra Siksha w.e.f. 2018-19 with the key objectives of quality education and improvement in learning levels. Under this scheme, the State Govt. and UTs are supported on several interventions to improve teaching standards, regular in-service teachers’ training, induction training for newly recruited teachers, ICT facilities in schools, introduction of vocational educational component at secondary level etc.
The other initiatives inter-alia include the following:
- Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education  Act, 2009 was amended to extend the period for training of untrained in-service elementary teachers to 31.03.2019.
- In order to focus on quality education, the RTE rules have been amended to include reference on class-wise, subject-wise learning outcomes. Learning outcomes for each class upto the elementary stage have been finalised and shared with all States and UTs.
- National Achievement Surveys are carried out by National Council for Educational Research and Training to assess learning achievements of children in Classes III, V, VIII and X.
- To complement the activities under Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat and to inculcate reading habits among students, an annual grant of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 per school has been provisioned under Samagra Siksha for strengthening of school libraries.
- The Rashtriya Avaishkar Abhiyan  has been launched to motivate and engage children of the age-group of 6-18 years in science, maths and technology through observation, experimentation, both through inside and outside classroom activities.
- The Atal Tinkering labs have been established in many schools across the country with the objective of fostering curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds.
This information was given by the Minister of State , Dr. Satya Pal Singh today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.
Ministry of Education
HECI should ensure employability, job creation, global outlook with strong footing in Indian Knowledge System and language - Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan chairs a meeting on formulation of HECI
Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today had an extensive consultation on taking further steps for the formulation of Higher Education Commission of India .
During the meeting, Shri Pradhan said that HECI should ensure employability, job creation and global outlook. It should ensure global academic standards and provide more academic autonomy to the higher education institutions, he added.
He further said that this important recommendation of NEP-2020 will be one of the many steps in the direction of decolonization of education system of the country.
It was proposed that HECI can be an overarching umbrella for guidance of all the higher education institutions of the country.